Faith: Episode 22

With just two more episodes to go, our central political conflict finally comes to a head, followed right after by our time-crossed-lovers predicament. You almost wish they could have just one day of peace before the clouds roll in, but then that would make for bad drama. Our heroine faces her most monumental decision yet, which we knew she’d have to confront at some point: return to her time and live, or remain with the man she loves and risk near-certain death?

EPISODE 22 RECAP

Hatty the Assassin comes after Eun-soo in Woodalchi headquarters, but thankfully Dae-man is quick on his feet and alerts everyone of the intruder. Thank goodness ONE of you is paying attention.

Dae-man rushes to protect Eun-soo, and she hurriedly grabs one of the antidote experiments… which she drops in the scuffle. And then it gets stomped on.

With Eun-soo out of reach, Hatty just grabs her surgical tools and leaves. Crap, is this the end of the roomie arrangement, if he knows where to find her?

Meanwhile, Gongmin prepares to go face Deok-heung for his sentencing. He tells the queen that he’s wanted to kill him so many times for what he did to her and to their baby, but no one, not even Young, understands what he’s doing and why.

Noguk: “I do. I understand.” Aw. You can actually see his heart rise up at her words, and he says he might take a while. She just smiles, “I will be waiting.”

Eun-soo huddles in a corner, crying, and Lady Choi gets called over to help. Eun-soo just hugs her and cries into her shoulder on sight, and Aunt stands there dumbfounded. She finally pats her a few times on the back. It’s kind of like watching the Terminator trying to comfort a puppy.

They go back to the room and Eun-soo panics that it’s all destroyed. She sees Aunt pick up Young’s Jeokwoldae bandana from the rubble, and asks if it was what he used to tie around his sword—a memento of his fiancée.

Eun-soo starts to break down in tears as she asks how long Young wasn’t okay after she died. She explains that with the antidote experiments all destroyed, she has to start again, but there isn’t enough time before heaven’s door opens.

And if she stays behind but doesn’t succeed in making an antidote, then she dies. “If it doesn’t work and I die… what will become of him?” Oof, that’s heartbreaking that it’s her first concern.

Aunt asks if she really intends to stay behind. Eun-soo: “Does that make me crazy? It’s crazy. But if I just go like this, I think I’ll really go insane. Every day I’ll be thinking: Is that person okay? Is he really okay? Is he okay?”

Aunt tells her to ask him directly. He’s not one to talk about his feelings so he might be bad at it, “but he will answer if you ask him.”

Sohn Yoo meets with Ki Chul and offers up the official document for Yuan’s support of Deok-heung. He asks Deok-heung what he’ll do as king of Goryeo, and he says he’ll hand the country over to Yuan, give Ki Chul a handsome reward, and offers Sohn Yoo one as well.

The envoy agrees and hands over the document, not because of the offer of riches, but because at least with this guy in power, it means Yuan will have control. Ki Chul asks if he isn’t a Goryeo man, and Sohn Yoo says he was once, “back when I had hope.”

But watching how his country was being run, he has long since given up that hope, and now thinks it better for Yuan to have control. Aw, but maybe Gongmin could’ve turned that disillusioned frown upside-down, envoy man.

He leaves the meeting and furtively takes a look at… a pocket watch? Er? Oh is that the last of Hwata’s things? Or something new??

Gongmin and Young approach their meeting with Deok-heung, and Gongmin says things could get ugly. Did he say goodbye to the doctor? Young says he intends to return to her, so no, he didn’t give any special farewells.

Gongmin sits across the table from Deok-heung and offers up a deal: if he gives up his kinship to the royal family and leaves the country, he will be spared his life. Deok-heung laughs, calling him “Nephew” and says that Yuan has already made him the new king.

They contend that Gongmin is the one being a traitor and conspirator now, and soldiers come rushing in. Gongmin says he’s even prepared his council so that they could both stand before them and allow them to choose their king – do they really need to shed blood?

Deok-heung just laughs and makes his exit, leaving Ki Chul and his troops to handle Gongmin. Young and the Woodalchi fight their way through.

The council hears of the attack, and then Noguk meets with them to convey the king’s request. She gives them the royal seal, and his final decree that if something should happen to him, they are to act in his place.

Young tries to lead the king away, but Gongmin refuses to budge, until his council comes through. It’s understandably frustrating for Young, but the king is finally putting his faith—and his life—in his people’s hands. It’s risky as hell (especially considering how wishy-washy they’ve been before), but hugely significant. I just hope for your sake those scholars woke up feeling decisive today. It’d be a first.

The royal army just sits on pins and needles, desperate to act and help rescue the king, but their hands are tied until the council decides what to do. The council gets word that Yuan has given the throne to Deok-heung, and it throws them into a tizzy: Back Gongmin and start a war? Or throw him to the wolves and serve Deok-heung as king?

The Woodalchi back Gongmin into a room they’ve secured, while Young slices through Ki Chul’s soldiers like a badass.

Suddenly, he looks down. Oh noes. His hand starts to rattle, and he quickly takes his sword in his left hand. Egad, this is getting really bad…

Thankfully he’s still a killing machine with his left hand, but it’s not exactly the best consolation. Dol-bae catches up to him, and then watches from behind, as Young tries to hold his sword with his right hand. It crashes to the ground on contact.

Everybody’s heart drops five stories, including mine. Young picks it back up with his left hand and walks away, not knowing that Dol-bae has seen the whole thing.

He tells Gongmin that 900 more enemy soldiers are on their way here, but they’re just sitting ducks. Young: “I might not be able to protect you.”

He knows that the king is expecting the council to use his seal and send their troops here, but Young says those councilmen are weak and right about now they’re sitting there debating until their heads burst. Well, you’re not wrong.

But Gongmin argues that they have to become strong. If they remain weak, he can do nothing as king, and if he’s going to drag his people into a war, he needs their permission. Young: “Do you trust the people?”

Gongmin: “I now consider myself one of the people.” Young understands, and prepares his men for the seemingly insurmountable battle headed their way.

Eun-soo sits in a daze, and finds Young’s aspirin bottle among his things. She takes out the little flower and holds it in her hand. She asks how dangerous it is for Young where he is, and Dae-man does his best to instill confidence in the general.

She muses, “There will be a lot of blood.” He asks what she’s thinking. Eun-soo: “Just that living here would be like this, and that he’s lived his whole life this way.”

The council is infuriatingly slow, debating the merits of voting by majority, while everybody’s lives are at stake. GAH. Noguk starts to look ghostly pale, like she’s seconds away from fainting.

More and more enemy soldiers arrive, and Young stands alone, waiting for them to come to him. I just always love that moment.

He steadies his sword. My nerves are a wreck. But he cuts through them swiftly, and makes the second wave of men back away in fear.

Ki Chul’s minion breaks into the prison to free Flute Boy and Firestarter, who only complain that he took so long. Way to be grateful, guys.

Deok-heung complains that they haven’t gone to the palace yet, and Ki Chul finally loses his patience, screeeaming that they can’t just do that when they haven’t killed Gongmin yet. I love that he’s blowing a gasket, like Deok-heung is just an annoying little child.

Ki Chul is also noticeably shivering, almost as if his icy ki powers are chilling him from the inside now. His minion arrives to announce that more troops are on their way, and he says this is what they’ve been waiting for.

The council KEEPS going ’round and ’round, and finally Noguk bursts out: “Just say that you’re abandoning him! Just say that you’re abandoning your king. He trusts you and is waiting—he’ll wait a night, a hundred more—but I can’t watch this anymore, so just say that you’re throwing him away. Do you neither have the courage to abandon him, nor the courage to choose him?”

Damn, can we put her in charge?

Finally, the royal army gets the decree to go save the king. They head out. Ki Chul’s minion comes running in to give them the news, and Ki Chul just shakes his head, “That’s impossible.”

He swears they’re already here, but Ki Chul refuses to believe it. I seriously think he’s a few marbles short. Well, more than usual I mean.

And Deok-heung must sense that he’s not going to be protected by sticking with McBonkers over here, because he slips out the first chance he gets.

I love that the royal army arrives to find the compound littered with bodies, and Young standing exactly in the same place he was before. Ever the stoic badass.

They go in to report to the king, and he lights up at their arrival—are they here because the council is backing him? They are! Hurrah!

Young goes after Deok-heung, but Hatty the Assassin arrives to get him out first. Drat.

The Woodalchi finally arrive back home, and Eun-soo comes running out to meet Young. He walks past her since they’ve got an audience, but when she follows him into the room, he avoids her gaze and starts to walk out with clothes to change.

She stops him and says she’ll help him with his armor, and he backs away, “This isn’t my blood.” She says she knows, and that he doesn’t have to shut down around her.

She puts her arms around him and hugs him, even in his bloody armor, to show him that it’s okay. Aw. They’ve come so far since the days she’d call him a murderer and shrink away in disgust.

Noguk pours Gongmin a drink, as he rattles off all the things he’d like to do to Deok-heung, and she just asks in her usual way what his one concern of the day is. I like that her strategy for dealing with the worrywart king is to tell him he only gets one a day.

He smiles, “In the day you move the council’s hearts, and at night you seek to know the king’s?” He says that he feels unsettled about making Young pay the price—he got his just cause (for war) but Young alone had to shed blood for him to get it.

Envoy Sohn Yoo tells Deok-heung to leave the country, if he ever hopes to return someday. He digs in his heels, “But I’m the king!” Buddy, look around—you are not the king. He packs up his own belongings as he says all this, including Eun-soo’s surgical tools.

So Deok-heung, ever the rat who finds another escape hatch, goes to Ki Chul and says he knows where Hwata’s things are. The way Ki Chul lights up at the mention of heaven is so great. He’s just a barrel of nuts now.

Deok-heung describes the film canister with the letter inside that Eun-soo had, and says that he burned the back pages of the diary, but hid the rest of the items in the safest place imaginable… the palace, natch.

Eun-soo tests Young’s hand again, but can’t find anything outwardly wrong. She needs to see it act up to know what’s wrong, and brings over his sword. I’m just glad he’s even telling her about his hand issues, because he’s just the type to ignore it.

I love that he uses the sword as an excuse to put his arms around her, as he tells her about it. It was his teacher’s, and it’s called the Noble Sword. It never dulls, it unsheathes quietly, and it gleams even in the dark. He says it doesn’t usually stain with blood either, but yesterday he saw it bloody.

She looks at it in her hands, “I stabbed you with this sword.” He says it stabbed his teacher too. Yikes, that’s true—is it always meant to kill its master? I don’t know if I like this enchanted god sword if it’s going to turn on us.

Eun-soo asks how hard it was for him when his teacher died—did he sleep so much afterwards because he wanted to see him in his dreams? He says he did at first, but stopped showing up, even though he waited.

She asks if he’d still be sleeping now, if he hadn’t met her. He says he doesn’t know. He sighs that he couldn’t catch the man who poisoned her, and looks down at the sword, musing that it’s not cutting the people it should, and only killing the ones to be pitied.

She looks over at her antidote experiments worriedly, but doesn’t say a word.

In the morning, the king gives the order for the army to capture Ki Chul and Deok-heung. He asks Young to stay behind and asks how much time is left before heaven’s door opens. He says 14 days.

Gongmin tells him to just go out today, and then spend the rest of the time with Eun-soo, saying that he heard about her losing the antidote. Ha, well that didn’t take long. Young gapes at the news. Dae-man stutters that he was told not to say anything, and tells Young that she cried a lot. “When she cries, I can’t say anything.” Ha.

He goes to Aunt who confirms it, and tells him that Eun-soo’s only concern was what’ll happen to him if she dies.

Young does his job and goes to see Sohn Yoo, having tracked Deok-heung here. The envoy tells him he’s already in Yuan by now, and Young sends his men to sweep the place anyway.

Sohn Yoo asks after Eun-soo, saying he met her and knows she’s from heaven. He says he let her be, since he knows there’s no cure for her poison, but warns cryptically that Young might die if he stays by her side, and adds a warning to watch out for Ki Chul.

Are you just against Eun-soo meddling with history, or do you actually know something?

Young braces himself outside his door, and then goes in but finds the room empty. He looks in the antidote jars—they’re empty. He sends the whole table crashing to the ground in a fury.

Eun-soo checks on Noguk and says she’s doing very well. She gives her (and Aunt) some soaps she made, and Noguk guesses that she’s preparing to say goodbye. Eun-soo says she’ll answer that question now, about her future with the king.

She asks if she says they don’t have another child until ten years later, what will they do in the meantime? Stop seeing each other? Noguk smiles, understanding what she means. Eun-soo says they don’t have very long together, “less than a hundred years in fact, so you should spend every day like today, loving each other.” Aw. Good answer.

Noguk doesn’t know the word “love,” so Eun-soo teaches it to her: “Liking someone so much you cannot measure it in words. Missing him even when he is beside you. Love.”

Young catches up to her as she’s leaving the queen’s room, and he asks her angrily why she didn’t tell him what happened. What was her plan? Eun-soo: “To act like everything’s fine.” He asks how everything can be fine, but she says calmly that the Woodalchi protected her, and the antidotes were ruined but she’s starting again.

He demands to know how she’s going to find a cure in time before she dies, and she takes issue with all the death talk when she’s making an effort to live. Young: “Just once… just this once, I broke a promise. In breaking my promise to send you back, I was selfish just this once. Without a plan, without strength, with no way to protect you! What have I done?”

Eun-soo corrects him: “Who makes a promise alone?” But he’s already made up his mind: “I take it back, my request for you to stay.” No! You can’t do that! No take-backs! Tell him there are no take-backs!

The big lug won’t listen to reason, and stalks off. Sigh.

Kool and the Gang pack up their belongings in preparation to flee to Yuan, but Ki Chul refuses to leave without retrieving his Hwata toys. They argue, but he won’t budge without them, “Because they’re MINE.”

He wants Eun-soo too, of course, and says all they need to draw her out is Young. Good luck with that. But then Hwasuin remembers seeing Young’s trembling hand, and says she’ll happily face-off against him.

Flute Boy asks Ki Chul why he’s so obsessed with Eun-soo anyway, and Ki Chul wonders himself if it’s because he can’t have her that he wants her so badly. I believe this is why the phrase No shit, Sherlock was invented.

Eun-soo sits with fresh yellow flowers, thinking back to all the times Young protected her, from the very beginning. Mostly this montage just makes me miss his ponytail.

Choong-seok finds her and says it’s getting late, wanting to escort her back safely. He adds awkwardly that Young just doesn’t know how to express it, but “his temperament isn’t… totally foul.” HAHAHA. I luff him.

She humors him, not letting on how sweet Young actually is, and Choong-seok says if it’s really uncomfortable in that room, he can try and find her another one. He says the boys talk about always finding a pair of chairs put together like a makeshift bed, and he guesses that Young would never give up his bed for anyone. Heh. This cracks me up.

When she returns to the room, Young just stands there like a statue, and says they’ll leave first thing in the morning. She says he said what he wanted and left, so now it’s her turn: “I’m going to make my medicine, and I’m going to remain here.”

Young says no, but she cuts him off, “I’m going to stay behind, and be by your side. And I’m not going to waste my days worrying about whether I’ll stay or go based on something like this.”

Young: “Do you know what you’re saying?” Eun-soo: “I know. If it goes wrong, I could die. In front of your eyes. If that happens, watch over me. Hold me until the end. And don’t leave me alone.”

He actually scoffs, and storms out. Are you not listening to her?

And then he storms back inside and orders her to pack right now, and he’ll haul her to heaven’s door slung over his shoulder if he has to. She asks what happens after that—doesn’t he care what happens to her? He says she’ll get to live.

Eun-soo: I’ll live. I’ll live in my room. I’ll see people whose faces I don’t know. I’ll say things I don’t mean all day. And then at night I’ll return to my empty room. As I fall asleep, I’ll call out, “Are you there?” I know there won’t be an answer. And then I’ll wake up in the morning, and live another day just like that. Like a person who’s already dead. Do you not know what living like that is like? You do know, because you’ll live the same way.

He says that the last few days while she was dying, he couldn’t even stay by her side. “Instead of finding a cure to save my woman, I was running around killing people! How can I protect you? How can you ask me to stay by your side?!”

She looks up at him through her tears, and then suddenly, his hand starts to quake. Oh no. It stops them both in their tracks, and she clutches it to her heart, crying.

COMMENTS

There are a million ways their conflict could’ve played out, but I’m happy with it namely because of Eun-soo. She’s a character that I’ve liked from day one, because she speaks her mind and doesn’t let anyone make her decisions for her. So when Young acts like a noble idiot, I know she won’t stand for it and let him get away with it. She’s built up enough trust there, that I know: even if she goes, it’ll be her choice.

I expected as much from him, in that Young only sees his self-worth as a protector, and nothing more. So when he fails to keep her safe, when he knows with near-certainty that if she stays she’ll die, he can’t compute any other option. He is his honor, and his word. And his word was to protect her. It’s a nice return to the conflict that opened the show, now heightened (and complicated, natch) by love.

What I like is that these two characters have been so clearly solidified that it feels perfectly in character for him to refuse and be stupidly noble, and for her to call him out on why that’s stupid. I can stand for him to do the infuriating thing if I know she’ll nip it in the bud. I love her declaration to him because it’s not noble at all. It would be more selfless of her to leave him behind so that he could sleep at night knowing she was alive. But she also knows that it wouldn’t be living. And isn’t that why he fell in love with her in the first place—because she made him question the difference between living and existing? Because he saw that she knew how to live each day truly alive?

And that’s why we love her too, because she’d rather choose to stay near him, if even for one more day, and if she has to die, she’d rather die in his arms. I hope that Young will come full circle and understand why that’s living, and that it’s probably the answer to the very thing he’s been searching for all these years.

I wish that Eun-soo hadn’t been poisoned the first time, because here it works to force the question between life, death, and love, whereas before it was just a plot maneuver, and sort of took the punch out of the second time. I honestly wish a great number of things (So. Many. Things.) in this show had been handled differently, but now that we’re near the finish line, I’m happy with where we are in the central conflict, and that it’s been crafted to deal with—not the meaning of life—but the meaning of living.

October 23, 2012 at 8:13 PM

October 23, 2012 at 9:12 PM

For a drama that started off really off... and excruciatingly slow - For some odd reason, this drama has found a place in my heart...

Agreed - Eun Soo is such a no nonsense and lovable character... I love the way she just speaks her mind! I wish Dr Jin was half of her character.

Yoo Ho Sung has always played really good villains but I love his take on this character... That he's evil but because of his comic/over dramatized expressions - it softens the overall aura and makes him seem more like a big kid throwing tantrums than a pure evil character.

Deok Heung on the other hand was more of a surprise late villain bloomer who seemed to be just a lazy relative who wanted to do anything to keep himself alive to a very shrewd manipulative character who holds himself better than Ki Chul does...

October 23, 2012 at 10:18 PM

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I really wanted more of Flute Boy. I liked him in the first episodes. Why didn't they do anything with him? I remeber that scene with Fire, about what he wanted. They could've done so much with that. I hoped.....

October 24, 2012 at 7:47 AM

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he is one of my regrets, too. I was very excited when I saw his character still before the drama started and then...they really didn't do much with him. In the beginning I was hopeful that his sad eyes meant he was reconsidering his ways and would cross over to the good guys but nothing happened. And nothing happened with that throwaway bit about how he had to learn to control his power. Nothing much has happened about the powers at all. Dammit. I wanted to see more of him. He's purty and I like that wig.

October 23, 2012 at 8:24 PM

October 23, 2012 at 8:24 PM

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I haven't watch this episode just yet, need to read your recap first and I feel like...I don't feel like there are thing interesting anymore. Same plots , same troubles , same tricks. But still curious about the 3 rd ancestry object which I am not sure who has it. That what I really want to know and I really need to understand the timeline as well.

What on earth to King and his Hierarchy sounds like they are going down hell. No matter what they fight, no matter what they do more likely there are no way out. I am just tired of it..Or may be I just don't understand the Korean way probably.

October 23, 2012 at 9:55 PM

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Not watching the episode because you read a recap made by one person's opinion? Come on. Is like watching a good movie and saying you're not reading the book (knowing that almost all original sources are better)...

October 24, 2012 at 4:46 AM

October 24, 2012 at 6:23 AM

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Actually, reading recaps whether you watch the show first or not, is a tremendous help for a non-Korean speaker like me. Especially if some scenes show literature written in Hangul or KOrean language, for I cannot read it as well. Good thing DramaBeans is here to help me along the way.
Kudos, DB... If not for you, I will be lost one way or another. Not to mention your ever loyal Ranters or Ravers in this blog. They are so quick, knowledgeable, generous and so into the series that they can answer your question/s in a snap. Some even mention other worthy Dramas I have not heard of. Resources or websites to watch the dramas are also shared. Geez, if only our world is not complicated as it is now, and be like the Faith-fuls here in Dramaland. Way to go, people.... :-)

October 24, 2012 at 6:31 AM

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Thanks for yours suggested. I truly like it

I actually not am judge from reading recap then decided not to watch. But the plot and flow of the movie a bit disturbing me a lot since Dr. Jang gone last episode but still understand the Woodalchi don't need High Doctor to see his last.

I always read recap right before I read. Reason

1. sometime the subtitle doesn't make sense to me at some point once I read from recap made me smooth watching it.

2.I like the ways " Girls" here explain thing out in some what of Korean cultures and some Korean words plus their witty recap is worth reading.

3. It save my time, to decide to watch or not watching it , reading recap like I said worth reading, they both are just fine worked. I never missed anything out.Great job !!!

But this episode more likely we are walking in the same loop again. Like I could guess Antidote would get contaminated. King will have to compete candidate with a devil mind DH . CY and ES will face such a tough situation which may force him to push her away.

And a lot in this Episode and other failed to explain the history of Characters like who is Ninja ?? Why just took her Surgery 's tools?? What for?? This is just sample. Also talked a lot about her diary and Hwata's " Mystery things" but didn't explain. I may be not figure it out myself also. I can't say that I am sure that they are not explained in the movie.

Yet, I still like the flow of the movie and the relationship which grows in each characters. I like that.

I will find sometime to watch it though but at this point I don't think I miss any thing just yet.

October 24, 2012 at 7:07 AM

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I agree with a lot of your points, however, I tend to do the contrary because the recaps kill the suspense to me. :( I prefer watching first. So, when I am sure I will follow the entire show, I watch the raw first, then read the recap that makes sense of the raw, and then watch the subbed! ;)

But it's also true that the recaps are great help to decide which show I should watch or shouldn't watch. There are some shows I just watched the first episodes, and then felt something was off, then went to read the recaps which then helped me to decide whether to continue watching or not. ^^

About the surgery tools - Mr Envoy knew ES is going to die anyway, so rather than murdering her which is eww and doesn't seem to be like the way he does things, he just waits for her to die kind of peacefully (or maybe he is even leaving her a chance to go back home, who knows). However, he does not want remains of her to be around, screwing history up, and ending up in bad hands such as Ki Chul, just the way Hwata's tools ended. So he asked Bamboo Hat to retrieve them so they could melt them at the forge -make them disappear. It seems logical to me.

I believe for the diary and all they will explain it to us in the last episodes...or so I hope! ;)

October 24, 2012 at 1:30 PM

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There, JJ, aren't you glad this site have such friendly and helpful people like Waca to answer so satisfactorily all your Qs ? And of course in the first place, all because we have a Dramabeans to come to :)

Me too....I will patiently ( no choice !) wait for the subbed version and watch that first, then go read the recap immediately after. It will kill all suspense if I were to do the reverse..... a real killjoy. But so v v glad there's recaps to fall back on as some of the subbing left me "blur"....and also, just love the recappers point of views and enlightening ( most times) insights. Daebak. Thank u, girlfriday and javabeans !! You guys are simply the best.

October 23, 2012 at 10:45 PM

October 24, 2012 at 10:11 PM

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second.

I was lukewarm on the show for the first few episodes but now....it's got me good. ep 21 and 22 were fantastic. you should be watching. don't let the tone of the recaps (though appreciated) dissuade you from the show. its TOTALLY worth it.

October 24, 2012 at 4:01 AM

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I'm with JJ here. As in, I check out the recaps first, not taking everything the recapper wrote as the bible of truth, but I'd pay attention to the story line because it's the most important thing for me, then I'd gauge it based on my own judgement whether to watch it or not. Granted, this system is far from perfect, but everyone has a system to filter what they will watch because you can't possibly watch everything.

October 24, 2012 at 6:34 AM

October 23, 2012 at 8:26 PM

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In the words of one of my favorite fictional scientist/giant rage monster: "Ki Chul's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell the crazy on him." Poor fellar. Eh, at least he looks deliriously happy now even if he is turning into a Ki-sicle.

October 23, 2012 at 8:28 PM

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Thanks for the recap! Conflict is set up, and I'm ready for the last two episodes next week. Ready, meaning kind of scared. I have a lot of faith in Kdramas ending more or less the way their genre formula dictates they'll end, which I was thinking in this case was happily. But now I'm a little apprehensive, which is good. Builds anticipation and all that.

October 24, 2012 at 12:46 PM

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I didn't hate Arang's ending, but shows that end with that solution always leave me feeling sad. I mean, all I know is this life. So I couldn't exactly call Arang's ending happy. Bittersweet. I hope for a much happier ending in Faith. I mean, I'm glad that Eun-soo isn't going to leave like her future self did - that seemed like the saddest ending of all. Eun-soo said she's fine with rewriting history a little, and you know, I'm fine with the drama taking liberties. Just don't make her do something that results in a huge time-travel headache.

October 23, 2012 at 10:15 PM

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History says Nogook died in childbirth... so if she had carried the child to term, it's likely the Queen would have died... which doesn't excuse DH one bit, but there are the facts... (Not a spoiler, 'cause the Korean audience would know this and it's been playing with this fact from episode 1)

October 24, 2012 at 1:57 PM

Yesss....I've been toying with that idea too...the General in the 21st century, living happily with Eun-soo in her world this time around. Like the way you put it - a whole new drama, haha. Faith 2.

But somehow....it just won't sell. Queen's Inhyun's man fits in like a glove there, but our General,.... he will get into a mess in the modern world what with his too literal take on life. If only he's a totally fictional character and not based on real life historical figure, then we get more room to manouvre.

October 27, 2012 at 4:51 PM

October 23, 2012 at 8:38 PM

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I hate WAITING, when I make an appointment I always make it sure that I'm on time or earlier on the appointed time. I hate Waiting for decisions, make-up your mind, YES/NO, there's no waiting. So Imagine my chagrin, those ministers not shaking up their booty.
I can't wait to cut off their heads and let's see , no need for decision. hhaaa just ranting!

October 23, 2012 at 8:38 PM

I think CY's problem is psychosomatic. He has too many doubts. He's conflicted about it, as well as being unable to protect his woman. It's manifesting when he holds the sword.
Problem is, history tells us he remains a military figure.
So it's not being a warrior that is the problem, but believing the cause is worth fighting for.

October 24, 2012 at 7:59 AM

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Funny you say this because that last hand shaking episode, it began when he was telling her how he couldn't protect her so how was he any good? And I thought ahhhhhhhhh, that's the problem. He is doubting himself, and his role in things.

October 24, 2012 at 12:50 PM

October 23, 2012 at 8:40 PM

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Thanks for the recap! This is a great piece of writing! Your analysis of why we fell in love with the characters and the meaning behind living as it is interwoven throughout Eun-soo's character and the love story was very beautiful.

October 23, 2012 at 8:40 PM

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"Mostly this montage just makes me miss his ponytail."

haha, me, too! That was my exact thought during the flashback.

I am afraid that the story won't wrap up satisfactorily in just two episodes. THIS is the good stuff. We should've skipped a lot of the political merry-go-round and went straight to this. The only good parts in the middle were the king/queen moments. I just love those two!

October 23, 2012 at 8:41 PM

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Holy crapoli – I’m pissed. It grieves me to have to say this, but I didn’t like CY in this episode – he acted like a caveman. He doesn't listen to ES at all. When he grunted, “We’re leaving tomorrow. Pack. Do I have to tie and drag you?” it was a big Ugh.

ES, on the other hand, had a perfectly sweet and wonderfully wise conversation with the Queen about the future. Like you, girlfriday, I'm in this for ES. Also loved the chat with the Wudalchi vice general. The kids are worried about her with the General. Awww. Like Smurfs.

The Choi family flaw – inability to show intimacy for fear of appearing weak. Auntie and nephew alike, though Lady Choi always gets a pass from me because she deserves it. But not CY this time. Like I said, I’m pissed and in a bad mood over this episode.

October 24, 2012 at 4:34 AM

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I can totally understand that CY can be annoying acting "like a caveman" (I love the way you phrased it!) but as for me, I find CY's reaction to be more logical than ES's.
Sure I can understand ES's logic, but seriously, if the one you loved told you she/he preferred to die just to stay with you when she/he could be cured by leaving you, would you smile and say: "ok, let's do this! It'll be funny watching you die!"

No logical person would say yes to this. Because, let's face it: there are people who will never recover from losing their loved ones, just like CY at the beginning who only slept and did not live, but most people recover from heartbreaks and live on. So it is perfectly logical to me that CY would want to force ES to go back home, because he hopes that she will overcome her heartbreak and get to love someone else.

For the moment ES is saying that she won't live if she goes back home, but the thing is: we don't know it! (well, as for her, she knows because of futureES, but CY doesn't know that) She may perfectly recover later, how can she know? Of course at the moment it seems to be the end of the world; that's why CY cannot agree to her reasons, because to him they are not valid. And personally, I agree with him. If it weren't for future ES, ES would have no real idea of how she would cope with the separation back home. And so, it seems to me the selfish person is ES, because she's asking him to watch her die, when he could have known she was safe in her own world.

As annoying CY was...I totally understood him and felt for him, because it must have been hard to stand against ES.

October 24, 2012 at 12:58 PM

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I agree. When I realized what she was asking of him - to say yes to watching her die, I thought how that's going to be so much harder for him than for her. That's a hard thing to ask someone to do, and it recalls the scene (Ep 8ish) when the former king was dying from poison and asked Choi Young to kill him to stop his suffering. What if it came to that with Eun-soo? So of course Choi Young telling Eun-soo to pack was him freaking out, was him scrambling to save her. Rock and a hard place.

October 24, 2012 at 1:50 PM

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Hmmm. Yeah, it's a rock and a hard place situation, you're right. ES's optimism appeals to me too much perhaps. And I always fall for idealism over reality. CY is painfully practical and is focused on the reality of the situation. Indeed, I was too harsh, CY, but I'm back to my blinded love for you. :) I had to cool down a bit, that's all.

I just want a , "I love you so much. . ." lead into anything else they might have to say to each other. Still nervous for the ending, though. . .

October 24, 2012 at 2:55 PM

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Yeah. But I believe that the last thing Eun-Soo wanted to do was to ask Young to watch her die and hold her in his arms when she takes her last breath. She already knows how his last lover dies and how much it had affected him, that's why she is fighting so hard to live. But, she asked him because she had no other choice.
If she leaves him to go back to the present, then he will become heartbroken and will be living like a zombie while she will be living the same way too. She doesn't even know if she will be able to come back to find him again. Also, future Eun-Soo asked her to stay because most likely she will regret leaving Choi Young. So according to Eun-Soo, this was the best decision for them. Eun-Soo will not change history itself but she will change "their" history.
Of course, Choi Young does not know this, which was why he was threatening to hog tie her and carry her off to the portal! XD
Yippe!!! I want to see that scene!! LOL This man already threw her across his shoulder and carried her into the past, so I want to see him make another delivery like this too. LOL :D

October 24, 2012 at 2:24 PM

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Yes....CY is the logical one here. I would have hated him if he just simply agree to ES's plan to stay with him for a few weeks and then die painfully in his arms. His reaction to her demand to stay put is just so natural and right, although typically of him, he's brusque and brutally cold the way he goes about it. These 2 lovers are both so strong will and upfront...so sparks will fly when they are on confrontational mode, hehe.

October 23, 2012 at 8:45 PM

October 23, 2012 at 8:48 PM

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Thank you! I just finished watching it too! i'm loving the love, but also feeling its time to finish killing bad guys and close out the story of faith with an epic ending!

i loved the bloody-armor hug scene. it really brings their story full circle. Him avoiding her bc he knows he is dirty and smells of blood - a point she made early on that clearly penetrated his human armor therefore it matters to him now. But she hugs him anyways because she knows its what he really really needs(even if he doesn't know it), just pure acceptance and an oasis of love. shes also come full circle to learn and love the man behind the blood and sword that had frightened her before. they are so sweet, and she is one of the strongest female characters in a korean drama i've seen(cross our fingers and hope she ends on that note instead of suddenly falling into a typical kdrama heroine - even arang fell at the end). Her inner voice about how frustrated she is as a doctor who's restrained herself so much this whole time b/c of fear that she will alter history too much(resorting to making soap and make-up and acting like a half crazed looney!) really showed the other side of eunsoo that we don't really see, the collected side, where she knows and sees more than she's letting on, no matter how chipper of a character she is for cy and the rest of the crew.

Its cute that her tears make dokman speechless and stings cy's heart. its true that she hasn't really broken down often on this journey, very amazing for a kdrama heroine.

October 24, 2012 at 5:36 AM

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Exactly my thoughts! I am amazed at ES's strength! Female heroine are usually weak and illogical, so I was so happy to see ES stand on her grounds. I, too, felt that Arang had fallen and I was so disappointed by that!

I also had remarked that scene with Mr Envoy where she speaks in voice over about how she had tried to restrain herself so as to not change history. It had struck me because it was exactly what Dr Jin didn't do; it seemed he wasn't even thinking at all despite of his numerous voice overs explaining history and "is history changing?" blahblah, whereas ES, who had not said a word about it, suddenly let us know that she had been thinking AND acting about it for a great deal of time.

I, too, loved that scene where she hugs bloodied CY. It shows how much both of them have changed for the other. I really like the way you phrase it "it really brings their story full circle". Thx for your comment!

October 24, 2012 at 6:30 PM

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Strongest female Kdrama character? have we been watching the same drama? the crying, the moaning, the fussing, the putting people in danger, the greed, the low-brow ways, the lack or survival instincts. seriously I thought I was watching the best potrayal of a weak heroine that i have seen to date. What made her strong? Even in 2012, she showed no strenghth of character, just a street smart woman trying to go from 0 to 100. which made her weak behavoir even more baffling.
I truely tried to search deep and see if by any stretch,for the first 2/3rd of the drama i could call the doctor a strong character.

October 25, 2012 at 2:58 AM

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Being strong doesn't mean never crying, moaning, or fussing, you know.

I'll tell you why I think her strong, but it's just my opinion so you're not obliged to agree with me.

About the crying: ES doesn't cry that much, really. Each time she did, she had a valid reason. If you want an example of a crying heroine, it would be Park Min Young's characters, being it Young Rae in Dr Jin or Kim Yoon Shik in Sungkyunkwan scandal. She had never ending tears. ES usually cries after a stressful or difficult situation, and even then, not always: she didn't cry after the portal closes, for example. I would like to see you in the same situation than hers and see if you wouldn't cry.

About the moaning and the fussing: here it's just my opinion, but I actually think it makes her strong, because she is voicing out her complaints, whereas a weak character will just shut her mouth like a pretty doll.

About putting people in danger: when did she do that? She didn't do any action like the queen, going into a dangerous place.

About the greed and the low-brow ways: yes, that is how she was in 2012, but she evolved during her stay in Goryeo. She is not talking about money or wealth now. And even before I am not sure she was really being greedy. She was more like in a situation that needed money to progress. I think that way because of what she says to Dr Jang Bin about why she moved in cosmetic surgery.

What made her strong?
- She successfully operated on a dying guy with a weird Goryeo-costumed killer breathing on her neck.
- She tried to get away from her kidnapper and reason him even though she had seen him wound a guy with his sword.
- She stood against Ki Chul the first time he confronted her, while all the assembly was quiet.
- When flute boy tried to kill Woodalchies with his sound, she stepped in the sound zone to stop him, while knowing she was risking her life.
- She menaced Ki Chul of killing herself if he and CY didn't stop fighting.
- She didn't freak out the both times she got herself poisoned.
- She stood against Mr Envoy, daring him to kill her.
- Etc...

About the lack of survival instincts, I don't see where you see that, so if you could tell me, maybe I would agree, maybe I would not.

Well, everything is a matter of opinion, so if you can't see her as a strong character, it's not a problem; I just wonder why you're watching the drama at all.

October 27, 2012 at 7:41 PM

October 23, 2012 at 8:48 PM

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"Kool and the Gang", "Hatty the Assassin"-- I got lots of good chuckles out of this recap. Thanks, gf~ I often wonder if you crack yourself up when you come up with this stuff.

This drama should've been way shorter (in addition to way better) but at least I'm getting plenty of time to drool over LMH. I miss the ponytail too! But I agree with the podcast comments-- his acting limitations are more apparent in this drama. He's still lovelovelove though. And CY + ES are wonderful together.

October 24, 2012 at 2:46 PM

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Drool over LMH....totally agree ! His hair here suits him so well and the cameraman is in love with him...see how lovingly the camera always find the best angle shots of LMH and dwells and lingers over his almost perfect features. LMH looks his best in this drama and Boys Over Flowers.....I love not his look in City Hunter, the makeup is dreadful there, too much powder or whatever they plastered over his lovely face that he looked ashy and pasty, and the hair there is just lame, not doing a thing for him. ( That's my rave and rant, hehe). But drool over him mucho in this drama ! He's looking so gooood here :)

October 23, 2012 at 8:55 PM

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"I’m happy with where we are in the central conflict, and that it’s been crafted to deal with—not the meaning of life—but the meaning of LIVING."

Girlfriday, bless you for those words!!! You nailed it!!! But then I am not surprised, knowing how brilliantly your mind works and how masterful you are with words! Thank you so much for articulating what was on my mind watching the awesome last few minutes of this episode...so much INTENSE EMOTION in just a few minutes...so heartbreakingly-memorable!! Arrgghhhh...the dilemma of love, being in love and loving someone...what are they to do????!!!

October 23, 2012 at 10:36 PM

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Don't worry, dear. You are not the only one. We are in the minority here and therefore are not vocal about it in case tomaotes,eggs get thrown at us.kekeke
They do look good together but I, too do not feel the chemistry. I feel the same as you. The way she talks to him and behave with him, it is like a noona. Now duck ( for fear of those tomatoes and eggs flying this direction)!

October 23, 2012 at 10:51 PM

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I beg to differ, but no worries, no tomatoes and eggs flying your way... :-) I think the chemistry between them is the natural way they behave towards each other, so close and comfortable; like the way LMH ties her bag around her while rattling away and when they dress each other. And the silent way they think for the other person instead of own self. Sparks fly whenever he gazes at her secretly.

I also like the fact that ES is a strong and
opinionated character in this drama. A nice change from having male leads falling for troubled and teary-eyed heroines.

October 24, 2012 at 5:49 AM

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Haha, I also do not agree because I do see the chemistry, but don't worry about tomatoes! :D

I think it's just a matter of opinion. While stuff as editing and bad choice music and etc is indisputable, I believe that chemistry is just a matter of how you feel with the story and the characters, so we can't hate you for not feeling the chemistry! ;)

That said, if the characters and the plot and the acting is bad, then, no matter the opinion, the chemistry does not exist and you're just fooling yourself *cough Dr Jin cough Young Rae cough*!

Now about Faith I have a question for you two. I can see why you would feel like she's behaving like noona, so I was wondering about the wedding scene. You know, when CY arrives just when DH is taking her to the wedding? Just before KC tries to stop CY, ES has a few steps toward CY, with a peculiar look on her face. To me it really seemed like an enamored look to me, so I was wondering about how you felt about that scene? :)

October 24, 2012 at 9:54 AM

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For me, a forced kiss is never romantic, even though the actors are doing a good job portraying it. LMH is good at that. That enamored look is just acting.

I think personally, LMH is miscast. He is too young looking and they made him look like a flower boy. He just don't look like a seasoned warrior, who has been fighting for 13 years...his hands, his gait,not warrior-like.He will be great as a prince. He is trying his best, kudos for efforts.

As for KHS, I wish I did not watch her bts, her interviews and the variety shows because I see mainly KHS in ES character. Too bad the character is the same as KHS. So if you ask me how is her acting, I would say I can't tell you as she is acting as herself. She is beautiful.

Perhaps those are the reasons I don't see chemistry. I really can't put my finger on it. As I said I see her acting like a noona to CY.

October 24, 2012 at 11:09 AM

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Totally agree. If CY was played by a more mature actor, KSH would look much better too. Now , even she does a very good job, there are still all jkinds of after and second thoughts about LMH and KSH acting togrther. Probably, more precisely we could say they are miscast as a couple.

October 25, 2012 at 12:02 AM

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I don't get it. O_o
I mean, I get what you're saying about ES acting like a noona, and also thank you for mentioning that the actress is very similar to her (that way I won't watch her interviews and variety show so as to keep ES as a character and not as KSH), but I don't get why you say "That enamored look is just acting". Of course it's acting! We are talking about ES and CY's chemistry, not KHS and LMH's. It seems to be the same, but it's not. Which means that the acting is part of ES and CY's chemistry. So while I totally agree that there are scenes where ES acts a noona, I also think that the way she looks at him when he arrives to stop the wedding is not the look a noona would give. So I just wanted to know what you thought about that look in particular, but your answer is that it is just acting? I don't understand... :(

About the kiss itself, well, I kind of agree with you, but I also don't. I'm totally with you when you say a forced kiss is never romantic, I feel the same and it annoyed me even in dramas I adore (for example, Tamna the island). However here, I don't think the kiss is forced at all, because of the way ES was looking at him with yearning, and because CY made it so totally obvious that he was going to kiss her by looking down at her lips and excusing himself before leaning in. So while I'm still waiting for a more natural kiss, I don't think that kiss was a forced. Well, that's just my opinion though. ^^

I have to say I agree with your critics about LMH, he does seem too young for an experimented, and not like a warrior. I thought that too at the beginning, but later on I liked the way LMH portrayed CY so I let it go. But the fact Faith isn't doing very well with its fight scenes helped, I think! About the flower boy thing, I believe it would have been less the case if they had dressed his hair up like the other Woodalchies. I was disappointed at first when I saw his hair in his face...

@favoree
They are miscast as a couple because LMH is younger than KSH? O_o So it is ok for a girl to be with a guy older than her and not the reverse? I understand you point, but I don't agree with it. Screw conventions.

October 25, 2012 at 12:07 AM

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Oh God, I do hope that's not why we only got ONE freakin' kiss!!! Because if so, screw her husband; she's an actress, it's her job, and she's playing a main role in a pairing, so whether she's married or not should not interfere!!!

October 25, 2012 at 1:31 AM

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We've already had 2 kisses ( include the CPR one ^ ^), so what's the matter with her husband if there's one more ? I mean, the amount of kisses now isn't a problem anymore because anyway, she's already kissed another man.
I know the rumor about her husband dislikes her to do any skinship in the Taxi show, but I think it's just a joke. She's a professional actress, and it doesn't make sense if he can interfere her career.

October 25, 2012 at 2:20 AM

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I don't consider CPR to be a kiss... And they didn't even love each other at that moment, so she could have done CPR to any other Woodalchi that would have been the same.

I don't understand why series, be it kdramas or american, or english, or any other series, use that excuse to say the OTP kissed, because no, they didn't. It's CPR, the thing you learn at school. It's not romantic to me... It's trying to save a life, be it someone you love or a complete stranger. How can that be considered a kiss when one is focused on saving the person and the other is...well, dying??? O_o

October 24, 2012 at 6:39 PM

I don't see the chemistry, and she seems more suited to be a sort of spinster aunt- the spoiled baby of her generation, but Choi's youngest aunt, nonetheless.

I don't really admire her character, either. That whole scene where she's teaching him 'fighting!' and other useless and stupid 21st century pop culture gestures just makes me writhe and cringe in embarrassment.

I don't see her as a strong female character as much as foolishly stubborn. I don't mind stubborn when it's combined with some wisdom or insight, but I just don't see her displaying either, and I think somebody who finished med school ought to have a little more of both.

October 25, 2012 at 12:12 AM

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You'd be surprised to see how many people from advanced colleges, being it vet school, med school, or engineering, can be completely idiotic. And the worse thing being, as they have completed long studies, they get out of these schools totally convinced they are perfect people when they actually lack wisdom, so a lot of them turn out to be jerks.

October 25, 2012 at 12:25 AM

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Hi DMH, I disagree with most of your points, cause I see the depth of Eun Soo's character and the chemistry of every scene Young and Eun Soo together. But I don't discuss them because there're already a lot of comments in this blog speak up my thinking.

I just want to talk briefly about the scene in which Eun Soo teaches Choi Young fighting, pinky promise and high-five. No, They aren't "useless and stupid" at all! Don't people do them when they want to assure that they trust each other? All are related to FAITH here. It looks fun when she begs him to do all these things, but she doesn't just do that for fun. She dediactes fighting to Wooldachis, pinky promise to general, high five to the King, because she knows Choi Young, while going away with her, still can't give up his loyalty and responsibility. It's an indirect way to tell him to continue his life as a great general, even when she's not beside him anymore.

October 23, 2012 at 10:56 PM

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Hehe... I don't quite like the new robe too.. More like a Noble Lord than a warrior's. Totally uncool! ES is probably right that his shaking hand is psychological. Too much killing! Probably same symptom as his Master.. the sword having gotten too heavy. Surely he won't suffer the same fate since the current King is sane and values him so dearly.

October 23, 2012 at 9:47 PM

That was a sneaky lil'side-pass tossed in there ~with no explaination...and no guarantee that we will see Mr. Paper-Pusher Yuan Government-Man ever again.

I'd like to think the writer will *clue-back* to that at some point, but with 2 episodes left - such a thing is hardly the center of storytelling with so little time..

Unless ~ ~ ~ that last item of Hwata's (hidden in the Palace) tells EunSoo how Envoy Sohn Yoo's great-great-grandpappy knew to write down ""Kill the Doctor" (giving a nod to Dr. Who)....it could be some element of unraveling the TIME MYSTERY...because you know..it's a...watch.
(nothing subtle about using THAT as a key element, eh?)

October 23, 2012 at 11:40 PM

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I have a feeling that Hwata's last item will be the key item to possibly saving ES. Why else would KC be searching for it with two episodes left? This item has been referenced from quite early on in this series so it must be the game changer. The Dansa Officer's conversation with CY (based on intel from his great-great-granddaddy) sounds like he knows KC will approach CY and he's trying to alter that future interaction.

October 23, 2012 at 10:32 PM

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Am I evil for wishing that Deokheung get killed?? Seriously the ones who should die, don't. And the ones who shouldn't, poor Woodalchi captain, does? I'm gonna be so sad when this drama is over. I'm already sad because Arang and the Magistrate is done. :*( Now what am I gonna watch?

October 23, 2012 at 10:32 PM

October 23, 2012 at 10:36 PM

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Lee Min Ho really shook me in this episode. stoic and calm, but so decisive, he was so convincing, it gave me shivers. despite the fight scenes still being filmed in that messy and sloppy way that it made me groan., I love that he, as an actor, doesnt let anything bother him.
oh man. he delivers as good as in City Hunter. too bad others, especially techinical side, doesnt deliver just as well. and the assassins all...so cheesy and tacky. but the scene with the storming army. now if only camera moved quicker. and had closer angles. did they have a student filming it?

October 23, 2012 at 11:06 PM

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btw i just learned Korean film crew is coming to Tallinn Seaplane Harbour to shoot angles "for a possible filming location"???? what. what are they going to film. plz tell me it will be some korean-estonian drama!!!! ohhhhhh can a girl drem plz.... !??

October 24, 2012 at 3:46 AM

October 24, 2012 at 8:04 AM

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I just saw an article somewhere that said - oh, who IS it, it's some big actor - is going to do a drama - The Secret History of Yi Soon Yee or something like that. Some real general who died in a naval battle, except he doesn't die in the drama, but lives and goes off secretly to explore the world and find a new place to rule.

October 24, 2012 at 11:58 AM

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omo, you know I think there was one Korean officer in British navy or something, during WW I and the Brits were here at the Baltic Sea then with 20 ships.. I dont know...b ut since we have a genuine-looking submarine here.... maybe they want to use it!!! there were lots of koreans today, I dont even know, there were people with cameras as well. but I also made two tours to koreans.

this is so off-topic but I just have to gossip.

but speaking of Lee Min Ho again, I dont understand how the development of his character is so fluid, so consistent, no swinging back and forth, but growing and growing in the same direction more strongly, you know. like he planned all episodes out and made a memo for each scene in his head or something.

October 23, 2012 at 10:38 PM

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I thoroughly enjoy reading your recap. Very insightful and entertaining. I've enjoyed this drama so so so much. I find the leads make a great couple despite their 10 year age gap. I guess that says a lot of their acting skills. ES is especially a natural. LMH's acting isn't that bad to me, though I think ES's high-spirited character dulls his a bit. But still, his ever-sweet little actions to show his care and love just melt my heart. And he looks so cool when he fights! I wouldn't leave too if I were ES! Really hope this is going to be a happy ending. I'm hoping the 3rd item in the chest is going to be the antidote. And since Young is sick of killing, they can retire to his fisherman dream. I really can't forgive the writers if ES and Young has to split up in the end!

October 23, 2012 at 10:40 PM

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Enjoyed your recap, even tho I haven't seen the episode yet. Very insightful.

LMH is delightful to look at and I think the two main characters have a lot of chemistry between them. I understand how CY must feel. If ES remains, and dies CY won't be able to handle it. He promised to retrun her and he should keep his promise, so that she can live.

Also, the fortune teller told her to look for her true love to someone she meet in a distant past. So she has to go back. It would be sooo cool if after her return, she meets him, and we get the struggles and conflicts in Faith 2- 2012. Yeaaaahhhh!. I'm dreaming, right?

October 24, 2012 at 3:29 PM

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Ya...wakey up from your lovely dream, haha. CY is based on a real historical figure unfortunately, so there's very little leeway to play around with the plot....he lives on to the ripe old age and had an unexpected tumultous end according to history. But some historical notes suggested that his real life wife had a surname of Yoo...... and Eun-soo's fsurname is Yoo, is this a coincidence ?

October 24, 2012 at 3:00 PM

October 23, 2012 at 10:56 PM

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Did the show forget they have powers here!?! Seriously CY could have knocked out that group with the blast he used in the first episode and that would have saved more lives. I feel like we missed out on the "fantasy" part of this series. They might as well have left it out.

October 23, 2012 at 11:00 PM

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I couldn't agree more with what you said that it's about living. And I love that ES knows that and has realized what living means - now for CY. I hope he figures it out and that they get plenty of cuddles and smooches because seriously - why spend potential last days moping and being angry? I do wonder though if the drama will go all kill ES. I wonder if they are brave and decisive enough to do that. (Even though I really, really want a happy ending of long life and Eun Soo-Choi Young adorable babies *crosses fingers*)

October 23, 2012 at 11:01 PM

October 23, 2012 at 11:04 PM

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I'm not with the stay in the past train, no matter if it's the only method they can stay together. WHY is the show not even mentioning a he-goes-to-the-future end? That's my biggest peeve with time travel, that they rarely ever touch upon this possibility, and the heroine always decides to sit in the past with no modern medicine and a bunch of political upheaval.

I just don't get it. Both of them have totally valid reasons now to leave this era, and it's not computing to me why she wouldn't just ask him to go with her, screw history. After all, if she's been helping to shape history anyway, then she needs to not be so scared of doing things.

Here's to hoping for anything but the cliche and frankly lazy stay-in-the-past end.

October 24, 2012 at 2:08 AM

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I don't think history has anything to do with it.
Eun Soo doesn't ask Young to come with her to the future because she knows he would not be happy there.
He would have her, but he would throw his King away. And Gongmin is very important to Young.
Even when they were on the run, Young kept looking back at the Palace, wondering if the King was ok.
Being a Wudalchi is part of what Young is and Eun Soo knows it. That's why she'll never ask him to follow her.

October 24, 2012 at 6:19 AM

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Just saying - I think CY would totally be unhappy in modern Korea. I mean, I know we are lucky to be living in 2012, but that doesn't mean our world is all pink and stuff.

What would CY do in modern Korea, seriously? Do you imagine him popping out from nowhere - so, no papers, no diplomas, only his fighting skills? The police would think he came from North Korea, or even worse, they could recognize him from the dude who almost killed a vigil and did kidnap a girl: they did have his face on the cameras.

Also look at CY's character. He's all about honor, and loyalty, and all this stuff; what would he do in our world where loyalty doesn't occur and where honor serves not; the only important things being money, yourself, and consumption? These are exactly the values CY does not follow thanks to his father's words.

The reason why CY can't go in modern times is that he's not Gim Boong Do from Queen In Hyun's Man. Gim Boong Do is the type to adapt because as a scholar, discovering a new world such as ours where we have lots of things to learn, and what's more hand-in-hand with his girl, makes it totally worth it. But CY is a warrior and still has a lot of things he can accomplish in Goryeo. I am not sure he would learn to love our world, even if he was with ES.

You cannot forget also that CY has made connections with a lot of people around him, even if he does not necessarily realize it: his Woodalchies, the King, the Queen, his aunt, the Suribang, etc...
What struck me also with ES, is that she seems to be a very lonely person in her own time. Sure, we saw her talking on the phone with a friend at the beginning, but apart from that? When she's kidnapped, she only says she misses her mom and dad. She appeared to me to be a lonely single woman, with only one purpose in living: working, and earning money. That was how she was presented. Remember when she explains to Jang Bin why she transferred to cosmetics? It struck me as well, because it was not giving a good image of "Heaven". I think ES gains much more as person in Goryeo than in modern time Korea.

So, yeah, I hope ES will be the one to stay, because on the contrary I think it is not often in Time Travel that the traveling person decides to stay in a "less-advanced" period. Supposedly, our time period is the best. I like ES being original and wanting to stay in a tough time period rather than going back to her own.

I do agree with you on one point: it would be nice to see a hero saying "screw history"!!! Well, that's more or less what ES said to Mr Envoy. ;)

October 23, 2012 at 11:23 PM

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That's it???? Hah, I waited the whole week and I wanted things to fly, spark ... sigh ... now I got to wait for another week to the end.
I got to keep reminding myself that CY is from different time and his sense of proprietary is different from ES but I love the closeness and their comfortability between both of them when they are alone. A little nod, a small gesture and they can read each other easily.
I love how cute Es around CY, how she always put a smiling face for him.
Life is a journey and in this series, I see them journeyed together, discovering each other and being in each other's life - that's what GF mean with meaning of living.

October 23, 2012 at 11:45 PM

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watched it after reading the recap and this is the 1st time I cried with ES..so sad...the way she worried about CY, what'll happen to him if she dies in front him T_T
this may not be the best drama (mostly because of the poor directing and lame editing), but ES-CY's relationship also the king-queen's always gets to me whether they're happy, sad, fighting, etc. the only reason I keep waiting for this drama is to see them... Thanks for the recap GF!!

October 23, 2012 at 11:49 PM

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I have something to confess. YOU are the one to get me hooked on kdrama's (well it could really be classified as anything-not-my-language-dramas really). I clicked on a link by mistake many months ago and found myself on your very lovely site. From there it was the fat lady singing is all I got to say. I'm from the US, if you couldn't have figured that out already, and this is the first time I have posted anything but I have read all your recaps...and I mean all of them. Each of you have my heartfelt thanks for the time you put into this and I'll tell you what, I pimp this site to anyone I can (have to help, you know). Well don't I sound like an uneducated American...sigh.

Well, I really just wanted to say thanks, so thanks for this and that (lovely pictures and songs too!) and keep up the good work.

October 24, 2012 at 5:39 AM

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LMG - welcome to the club! I remember having the same feeling when I stumbled across this site a couple of years ago.
You could say I got hooked on Kdramas 5 years ago when I toured Korea. I only understood about three words so my family and I made up our own dialog while watching TV. So my official reason for watching Kdramas now is I tell my family I am learning a new language. Recaps at Dramabeans have opened a whole new world for me also. Thank you JB, GF, Gummi, Heads, and Kaedejun!!!

October 24, 2012 at 6:28 AM

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Welcome!!! I too fell in love with Dramabeans!!!
I actually discovered kdramas before this site, but I was in desperate need of a guide because there are just so many kdramas I didn't know which ones I could watch! And then I discovered Dramabeans!!! And I'm so grateful because it is exactly why I needed! Fantastic recaps, non-gossip-like news, and great people to discuss with!!! <3

October 24, 2012 at 12:01 AM

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I just love this episode. I can't stop crying during Eun So's monologue. It was really heart wrenching. She made a choice already to stay even if it means her death. But Choi Young will lose her either way. So he should just make the most of the days remaining that they can spend together. Give her all the loving she needs. It's sad. I can't help thinking that this will have a sad ending. As a fan, I am proud of Minho. From Boys Over Flowers to this drama, he has grown so much as an actor in this drama. I think this role is hard for him to portray being so young but he passed the test with flying colors. Congratulations to him and more power. To KHS, she is not only beautiful but a wonderful actress as well. She gained a fan in me.

October 24, 2012 at 12:11 AM

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Wow, not sure how I feel after this episode, kind of like ......stressed.

Poor CY , I think he is just tired of killing , tired of it all. He probably just just wants to be with ES and catch fish sigh.... Both he and ES are suffering, even KC is losing it, everything is unravelling.

Will be interesting to see how they put it all back together; please let it include headless DH with a side order of chopped evil twins.

Ahhhhhh trying to figure out how it will end is likely to give me a headache , so I will just think of happy endings...

October 24, 2012 at 6:51 PM

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I swear that these posts are the funniest, I laugh out loud kekeke and duck the rotten tomatoes, sticks and stones that comes my way. but seriously, I think that there will be a happy ending, remember her past self told her to say yes when she is asked, also to stay with the general. DO NOT forget the mysterious 3rd object, she left it for a purpose, I think it is the cure for the poisen, some antibiotic or the other. If I do not get my happy ending, I will be unhappy and will get back by not watching Kdrama for at least 1 week. peace,

October 24, 2012 at 1:53 AM

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I think i must applaud KHS's acting in this ep especially. The crying scene looks absolutely heartfelt. It's like her heart is really breaking into pieces...Makes me wanna hug her and thwack mr general upside his head.